Understanding
by TVTime
Summary: Ryder has had a very bad week and is ready to quit glee club completely. He's ashamed of everything that's happened and he feels as though no one understands what he's going through. At least that's how he felt until Jake invites him over for drinks and he discovers that maybe his best friend understands him after all. Jyder friendship and romance. Spoilers through all of season 4.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Eh, just a little something I came up with this evening. This takes place right after the season 4 finale when Ryder finds out Unique is the one who was catfishing him and then decides he wants to leave New Directions. I think Ryder and Jake are a really hot pairing and they have great chemistry. However, I've never actually written either character before in any of my stories. That means there's every chance I completely screwed up their characterizations. That would make me sad, but I still want to know, so please read this and tell me.**

**Understanding**

"Hey man," Jake said, one hand resting idly on the doorknob as he leaned against the wooden door frame and sipped from the red Solo cup in his other hand. "Took you long enough to get here."

"Maybe I shouldn't have come at all," Ryder answered, scowling at Jake and already turning to leave. The last week had been really hard on Ryder and he didn't need any of Jake's crap. Before he could actually begin to walk away, however, Jake opened the door the rest of the way and his hand shot out, gently, but firmly grabbing Ryder's wrist.

"You're here. Might as well come in." Jake tugged him into the house, Ryder reluctantly acquiescing and allowing himself to be led into the Puckerman residence.

"Listen Jake, if you just called me over here to threaten me for yelling at Marley, or to try to convince me not to leave New Directions, don't waste your breath."

"That's not why I asked you over," Jake assured him, finally releasing Ryder's wrist and picking up a plastic cup identical to his own from the nearby table. "Here."

"What's this?" Ryder asked, eyeing the beverage speculatively, the scent of alcohol not going unnoticed.

"Hennessy and Coke," Jake answered, smirking at him.

Ryder's eyes widened in mild alarm and he stepped farther into the room so that he could peer into the living room, carefully looking for signs of Jake's mother.

"Ma's at work," Jake assured his teammate as he slung an arm around his shoulders and guided him into the living room and toward the couch. "Puck hooked us up with the Henny. So you gonna drink with me, or let me pass out by myself?"

"How many have you had?" Ryder questioned, taking a seat next to Jake on the couch.

"Hmm, let's see." Jake made a show of considering the question as he took another swig from his glass. He swallowed and grinned at Ryder. "That makes two sips. I was waiting on you, dude."

"Thanks." Ryder rolled his eyes, but took a drink. He gave no outward indication that he felt the slight burn as the brew slid down his throat, but inwardly he wondered just how strong Jake had made the drinks. He could have done with a little more Coke and a little less Hennessy. "So what's the occasion?"

"Can't a guy share his booze with his bro without there being an occasion?"

Ryder shrugged and took another swig. "I guess. But it's Friday night and we won Regionals. I thought you'd be out celebrating with Marley."

"Nah, she had plans, and I wanted to hang with you anyway. We haven't had a bros' night in awhile."

"She's with Unique isn't she?" Ryder asked, a bitter tone lacing his voice.

"Yeah, she is," Jake admitted, draining half his cup and then looking at Ryder expectantly. After a few seconds the other boy sighed and followed suit, putting a large dent in his own beverage.

"I hate her," Ryder said between clenched teeth.

"What she did sucked," Jake said, bumping shoulders with Ryder. "But ya know she didn't do it to hurt you, right?"

Ryder didn't respond, just leaned forward on the couch and looked at the ground between his feet. After a little while he felt Jake's arm around his shoulders again as the other teen leaned into him.

"I'm sorry it all happened, man, but I don't think you should leave glee club because of it."

Ryder shot Jake another frown and then finished off his drink, using the empty glass as an excuse to stand up and get away from Jake. "Kitchen?" he asked shaking his empty cup.

"Yeah. I could use another drink too," Jake answered, downing the rest of his own beverage.

The pair walked wordlessly into the Puckerman kitchen and refilled their cups. Ryder was waiting for Jake to say something else, to change the subject, but he didn't. Ryder didn't know what to say. He mentally started several new topics, but he couldn't get any of the words out to actually begin discussing them. Instead he kept flashing back to images from the past few weeks: sitting in the library chatting with 'Katie;' turning down lunch with Kitty so he could IM with what turned out to be a _boy_; refusing to go out with the real, actual girl Katie was based on because he felt a connection to his cyber chat-buddy, to _Unique_; screaming at his friends in glee and demanding that they take out their phones because he couldn't take the mystery any longer. That was all painful enough to remember, but what hurt the most was when he replayed what had happened when he told everyone his darkest secret, when he had told them all the story of his molestation, and then got heckled by Artie and Sam.

All these words and images kept swirling in Ryder's head until he didn't think he could take the shame and embarrassment an instant longer. He felt himself breaking out in a sweat as he started to breathe more quickly.

"It's okay, Ryder. You're okay."

Jake's words cut through the swirling haze in Ryder's head, and suddenly he realized that he was indeed okay, at least for now. He was in Jake's kitchen, leaning back against the countertop, his friend's arm once again around his shoulder, and a full drink in his hand. Ryder decided that now was a good time to do something about that full glass and so he gulped down several large swallows before looking back up and catching Jake's eyes.

"You ever do something you feel like you can never live down?" Ryder asked, his stomach clenching, whether from the fast consumption of alcohol or his anxiety and shame he couldn't be sure.

"Yeah, of course," Jake answered, releasing Ryder's shoulder so that he could top his friend's glass off with more Hennessy. He didn't bother with adding anymore Coke. "You know what though?"

"Huh?" Ryder pushed off from the countertop and used the momentum to start walking back toward the living room.

"It's a bigger deal to you than it is to everyone else. Half the people in glee are _already_ way over it, and the rest won't give a shit by next week."

"I get it. No one cares," Ryder said as he slumped down onto the couch.

Jake plopped down next to him, his arm quickly finding its way back to what was evidently its main resting place for the evening. "I didn't say that. I care. So does everyone else. What I meant was, it's not this huge thing that everyone's going to fixate on like you think."

"Nobody cares," Ryder insisted, his voice breaking slightly. He rushed to swallow down more of his drink, the burn in his throat distracting him from the burn in his cheeks. "They think I'm lucky because–"

"I know," Jake said quickly, squeezing his friend closer and saving him from having to finish his sentence. "And that's seriously fucked up. That wasn't lucky. It was wrong what happened to you, and Sam and Artie are idiots."

"You think...you think maybe the reason this thing with 'Katie' happened." Ryder made quote marks with his fingers. "Is because of what my babysitter did?"

"What?" Jake asked, furrowing his brow. "I don't follow at all."

"Well like how I...you know..._connected_ with a guy online. Maybe it was because I was molested."

Jake's mouth dropped open slightly and then he started snickering.

"Wow, that's a really dumb theory, dude."

Ryder glared at him and chugged more of his drink to keep from hitting him.

"Seriously. Are you actually saying you think it's the whole, 'I was abused so now I'm going to turn out gay' thing? Because that's a pretty big load of crap."

"I'm not gay!" Ryder snapped. "Whatever. Just forget it."

"Hey I know! Let's text Blaine and ask him how many girls groped him when he was a kid." Jake grinned and laughed harder, pulling his phone out of his pocket like he intended to do it.

"Fuck you, asshole!" Ryder shoved Jake away, part of Jake's drink sloshing out onto the front of his shirt. Ryder moved to the far end of the couch and glowered at the other boy, his dark eyes burning with anger.

Jake finally settled down and took another sip of his drink before setting it on the coffee table and wiping casually at his damp shirt. He gave Ryder another easy smile and slid part of the way back toward him, but made no attempt to actually touch him.

"Look, I'm not trying to be a dick. It's just, seriously, that theory is wrong on so many levels. Like one, that's not why people are actually gay to begin with. Two, you just said you _weren't_ gay. And three, Unique isn't even a dude so it's a moot point anyway."

"Yes, she is, uh, _he_ is," Ryder countered. "He's just a dude in a dress and makeup,"

"No, _she's _a girl," Jake argued, looking Ryder in the eye.

"Oh come on. You don't really believe that."

"Sure I do," Jake insisted with a shrug as he picked his drink back up. "If she says she's a girl, then she's a girl."

"She can say whatever she wants, but she's still got a cock between her legs. If I say I'm an Abercrombie & Fitch model that doesn't make it true."

Jake took one last swig of his drink, finishing the glass and giving Ryder a speculative look. Ryder accepted the unspoken challenge and quickly downed the rest of his own cup, eager to keep up. The two stood and walked slowly, and slightly wobbly, back toward the kitchen for refills.

"You know, we live in a pretty cool time," Jake concluded as he wrapped his arm around Ryder. "And if she wants to be a girl, then I believe that, physically, one day she totally can be. In the meantime, she can identify however she wants. And as for you my friend." Jake grinned and bumped his body against Ryder's. "You can definitely be an Abercrombie model some day if you want."

Ryder gasped in surprise and pulled away from Jake as they reached the kitchen.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ryder demanded, propping himself up against the counter again and holding out his empty cup for Jake.

"It means you're good looking." Jake shrugged and took a swig directly from the Hennessy bottle. Then he pulled the red glass out of Ryder's fingers and passed him the bottle instead.

Ryder briefly glanced at it in confusion, but readily concluded that obviously his friend thought cups and Coke were no longer essential parts of the night's festivities. As Ryder considered whether or not he was actually ready to start drinking straight from the bottle, he was surprised again when Jake grabbed his free hand and started leading him back into the living room.

Ryder couldn't get his head around everything that was happening. First Jake tells him he's good looking enough to be a model, and then he starts holding hands with him. What the hell?!

"Jake are you...are you?"

"Comfortable enough in my masculinity to pay my best friend a compliment? Yep, I sure am." Jake giggled and pulled Ryder down onto the couch. "And while I'm at it, you have really pretty eyes by the way."

Ryder blinked in surprise and took a very large swig from the bottle, glad after all that they had decided to forgo cups and mixers. "I...I don't know what to say to that."

Jake shrugged and took the bottle out of Ryder's hand, so he could take a sip himself. "I think 'thanks' is customary."

Ryder swallowed hard, his head spinning as much from Jake's strange behavior as from the alcohol. He slumped farther back into the sofa cushions. "Thanks," he said awkwardly.

"You're welcome." Jake smirked at him and then sipped more of the Hennessy before handing it back to Ryder.

Ryder decided to take Jake's unusual words and actions as simply part of his personality, and concluded that they had most likely been brought on by the alcohol anyway. Also, it had actually been really nice of Jake to say that stuff to him, and Ryder had sort of needed the compliments after everything that had happened to him that week. Besides he was starting to miss Jake's arm around his shoulders. He shuffled closer to Jake on the couch.

"You wanna know what really scares me?" Ryder mumbled.

"Hmm?" Jake asked as he took the hint and pulled Ryder close until he was resting partially against his chest.

Ryder thought about pulling away. He didn't. Instead his brain snapped back to what he had been about to say and he found himself even more grateful for the comfort Jake was offering.

"I don't have feelings for Wade as Wade, not at all, but..."

"You do as Unique?" Jake guessed.

Ryder gulped empty air in response, then decided that he'd rather be gulping the Hennessy instead. He started to take another drink, but suddenly Jake's fingers were on his own, gently stopping him. Before Ryder could protest Jake took the bottle, leaned past him, and set it on the table. Then the next thing Ryder knew Jake was pulling him even more fully into his arms.

Ryder shrugged and let Jake hold him, giving in to the blurry intoxication that was slowly creeping over him. He leaned the side of his face against Jake's chest, enjoying the faint, familiar smell of his best friend's cologne. The softness of Jake's shirt contrasted so fascinatingly with the hard muscles of his chest underneath.

A little voice inside Ryder told him to stop so he turned back around so that he was no longer pressing his face against Jake's torso, but he made no move to actually get up. Jake's arms were strong and comfortable and Ryder was pretty sure that even if he did get up the room would have been spinning anyway. Better to stay put.

Ryder stared at the wall, trying to replay their conversation. They had been talking about something hadn't they?

"What was the question again?" Ryder asked.

Jake chuckled and slid his hand down Ryder's arm until it reached his palm. Then he laced their fingers together. "Do you like Unique?"

"Oh." Ryder tried to ponder the question, but he kept losing his train of thought as he gazed at their interlocked fingers. He was pretty sure that he should have been uncomfortable, that he should have been completely freaking out right about now. He wasn't. It was really nice being this close to Jake. "I dunno."

"It's not a big deal if you do," Jake answered, squeezing Ryder's hand slightly.

"I just dunno though," Ryder answered honestly. He couldn't think straight. His head felt fuzzy and he found himself missing the sensation of Jake's shirt against his cheek. Acting on impulse he turned his face and began nuzzling back into Jake's chest.

Yeah, that was better. It was much easier to think now, especially since the hand Jake wasn't using to hold his own, was now slowly carding through his hair and holding his head gently in place. What was Jake's question? Something about liking guys?

"I-I think maybe so. I just...I feel so close to you."

"I feel close to you too," Jake answered, resting his chin against the top of Ryder's head.

Ryder suddenly felt a strange urge to kiss Jake, but as soon as he realized what he wanted to do panic washed over him. He couldn't do _that_. Jake was another guy. He had a penis. Ryder couldn't kiss people with penises.

"You think it'd be weird to kiss someone with a penis?" Ryder asked as soon as the thought crossed his mind. Crap, that was supposed to stay inside his head.

"Yeah definitely," Jake answered.

"You do?" Ryder's eyes widened in alarm. Even though he hadn't actually meant to ask the question he somehow hadn't expected that particular answer from Jake. He suddenly found himself very uncomfortable with his and Jake's close proximity. What if he was making a fool of himself? What if Jake was about to hit him for acting like this? He started to get up.

Jake laughed and held him in place. "Yeah, it'd definitely be weird. Never kiss someone with a penis, Ryder...Kiss them with your lips instead."

Ryder snorted with laughter, and elbowed Jake lightly in the stomach, briefly enjoying how hard and firm his friend's abdomen felt, but not having very much time to ponder it further before descending into a full blown case of the giggles. He had been taken completely by surprise by Jake's comment and he found it insanely hysterical. Jake was cracking up too. He was laughing so hard that Ryder had to sit up just to avoid getting nauseated by all the shaking and vibrations.

The pair sat on the couch together for a couple of minutes, grinning at each other and laughing.

"Hey Ryder?" Jake said once they had regained their composure.

"Huh?" Ryder asked, still smiling at Jake.

"Let's find out if it's weird."

Before Ryder could wonder what Jake was talking about, his friend was suddenly cupping the side of his face. Ryder had just enough time to meet Jake's eyes before Jake was leaning forward, covering Ryder's mouth with his own and initiating a kiss that took Ryder's breath away.

**The End?**

**End Note: I think that's a decent place to end the story. Although I could perhaps be persuaded to do a second, almost certainly racier, part if people are interested. I'm still very curious to know if I captured their characters okay, so please let me know what you thought and also if you'd like to see what happens after the kiss.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I was absolutely blown away by all the reviews, feedback, follows, and favorites that the first installment of this fic received. I honestly hadn't expected nearly such a warm reception for it, and I'm extremely grateful and flattered. I definitely couldn't _not_ write the second part after all that. **

**This chapter of course comes with a warning about sexual content, so read at your own discretion. **

**Understanding**

"Hey Ryder?" Jake said once they had regained their composure.

"Huh?" Ryder asked, still smiling at Jake.

"Let's find out if it's weird."

Before Ryder could wonder what Jake was talking about, his friend was suddenly cupping the side of his face. Ryder had just enough time to meet Jake's eyes before Jake was leaning forward, covering Ryder's mouth with his own and initiating a kiss that took Ryder's breath away.

Ryder's head spun as he continued kissing Jake. This was unlike any other kiss he had ever experienced. In the past kisses had always been very conscious, deliberate sorts of actions. He would press his lips against the girl's, feel the soft, lushness of her closed mouth, slowly part his own lips and gently flick hers with his tongue. Once he had been granted access he would ease inside her wet, warm oral recesses, lightly stroking her tongue with his. Kissing girls was a wonderful, erotic, almost methodical experience.

Kissing Jake was nothing like that. Whether from the alcohol, Jake's extreme lingual exuberance, or maybe even the forbidden thrill of the whole thing, there was no chance whatsoever that Ryder could have kept track of what was happening or what sequence of events had led from one step to the next. He had no idea whose tongue had pressed into the other's mouth first. He had no recollection of throwing his leg around Jake and shifting into his lap. He didn't know when one of Jake's hands had slid around to support his ass, or when the other one had made its way up and under the back of his shirt. Ryder definitely wasn't sure when he had gotten hard, let alone begun grinding his erection into Jake's stomach as he wrestled with Jake's tongue for dominance.

This was a kiss born of urgency and Ryder was quite certain that it was about to end. He knew that at any moment Jake would push him off and that there would be mutual accusations of queerness, and of perving on and taking advantage of, each other. He knew they would both regret what they were doing, that they would attribute it to the booze, and swear never to speak of it again. He knew all of these things, and that was precisely why he had to kiss Jake harder. That was what made it so important that he hold Jake's head in place, so that he could hold onto this kiss for as long as possible. That was also why it was imperative that his other hand grip Jake's bicep, that he enjoy the feeling of the soft, thin hairs on Jake's upper arm overlaying his strong, steely muscles_ now_, before this whole amazing, terrible mistake ended.

And then suddenly it was over. Jake was pushing him away, just as Ryder had known he would all along. Jake's large hands were on his waist, shoving him back, ending the blissfully aching, but sinfully wrong contact between Ryder's denim-clad manhood, and Jake's cotton-covered abs. Ryder resisted the actual separating of their mouths for as long as he could. His tongue remained wrapped around Jake's until the last moment, his lips gripped Jake's bottom one, tugging at it, prolonging their oral embrace for, at most, only an extra second. It was a second Ryder knew he would never have again.

"I'm ss-sorry," Ryder panted, finding it hard to breathe in his alcohol-induced haze, hard to breathe with his tongue and lips still tingling from the kiss, hard to breathe with his shirt suddenly tangled around his face.

Ryder blinked as the last of the tee snagged, and then finally slipped over his ear, leaving him with a staticky, wild feeling in his usually well-groomed hair. He had barely managed to corral his bangs back into place before he glanced up, just in time to see the first flash of Jake's bare chest as the other boy's shirt was likewise deemed unwanted.

Unbidden Ryder's tongue darted out of his mouth, moistening his lips as his eyes fixed on Jake's pecs. Ryder had no idea why Jake's naked chest was turning him on so much. He had no idea why his hands had bee-lined for the mocha planes and hard, brown nubs. He also didn't know whether it was Jake or himself who had initiated their second kiss. About the only thing Ryder was certain of, however, was that the heat rolling off of their nude torsos would have been enough to ignite their shirts if Jake hadn't already so thoughtfully removed them. Ryder tweaked Jake's left nipple, and was rewarded with a low moan that seemed to flow straight from his friend's throat, down his own, and then directly into his cock. Yes, shirtless making out was definitely much better and as such Ryder decided that he could graciously forgive the other boy for briefly separating their mouths – just as long as he didn't do it again.

Fortunately no kisses were harmed as Jake nudged Ryder out of his lap and back onto the couch. Instead he made it a point to suck harder on Ryder's tongue and lick at the roof of his mouth, clearly conveying with his actions that the shift in positions did not mean the kissing should end. Jake's orals pursuits were absolutely spot on in Ryder's opinion; it was the illogical repositioning of their bodies that he couldn't understand. He was just about to protest the move, when he felt Jake's chest pressing against his own, arms easing him backward onto the cushions.

Ryder sighed into the kiss and ran his fingers over the back of Jake's head, massaging through the short, dark locks of hair. Then Jake's hand was on Ryder's inner thigh, insistently requesting that he spread his legs. That decision was a no-brainer, and it seemed all the smarter in retrospect when Jake's hips immediately unleashed a long, slow thrust directly against Ryder's straining crotch.

Ryder bit down lightly on Jake's tongue, the agonizingly good friction making his balls throb and his cock pulse. In response, as though to protect his delicate appendage from further toothy assaults, Jake withdrew it into his own mouth. Undeterred, Ryder immediately pursued his quarry back through Jake's lips, pinning it against the bottom of his mouth. The tongue hold didn't last long, however, as Ryder became distracted with the porcelain smoothness of Jake's teeth. That was okay; Ryder liked it better when Jake's tongue was sliding under his own, and nipping at his lip anyway.

Jake kept thrusting against him, ratcheting their hormones and their hardness to an almost intolerable level. As Jake ground his length harder against Ryder's, Ryder felt a damp stickiness over his glans and realized that he was now leaking precum. It made him feel slightly anxious and self-conscious, as he wondered if the moisture would still be present to embarrass him when he removed his pants later. That was when Ryder realized that he not only wanted to do precisely that, but that it now even seemed like a foregone conclusion that this encounter would at some point end with him and Jake fully naked.

That thought freaked Ryder out. The idea that their dry – well not-so-dry if Ryder's seeping cockhead had anything to say about it – humping might lead to more serious, nude activities was unsettling. Ryder raised his hands to Jake's shoulders, intent on pushing him away and ending all this strangeness. At least that's what he had been planning to do until Jake started bucking his hips more fiercely, further clouding Ryder's judgment in a maelstrom of friction. It was good, so good, but not nearly enough. Suddenly instead of pushing Jake's shoulders away, Ryder was clawing at them and writhing under him, trying anything in a desperate bid to increase the pressure and motion between their pelvises.

Ryder's hands traveled over the muscular balls of Jake's shoulders, and then across the sinewy ridges that lined his spine. Ryder _had_ to do something, anything to make Jake thrust harder. He scraped his nails against the smooth flesh of Jake's back, successfully evoking a yelp, and then a long whimper from his new makeout buddy. Emboldened, Ryder found his fingers gliding lower, dancing against the elastic waistband of Jake's briefs.

Images shot into Ryder's head, things he hadn't even consciously known that he had noticed: Jake's ass as he kicked and twirled during a dance number; Jake's ass as he squatted to tie his shoe; Jake's ass in thin gym shorts as he did squats; Jake's ass; Jake's ass; Jake's ass was suddenly in his hands, his fingers kneading the hard, burning flesh as he physically dragged Jake's manhood back and forth against his own. As the intensity dialed up – the kissing, pressure, and bucking magnifying to an unbearable level that _still_ wasn't enough – Ryder squeezed and palmed the tight globes, spreading them apart and then pressing them back together, feeling each blissful thrust reflected in those strong mounds of muscle. Just when Ryder didn't think he could take it any longer, Jake broke the kiss.

"Dude, we need to strip down now or my dick's going to hurt too much to touch." Jake's warm breath was all over Ryder's face, Jake's sweat-slicked forehead pressing against Ryder's matted bangs.

The wet sensation made Ryder realize just how hot he was, the way beads of sweat were clinging to his back and sides, the way the perspiration along their stomachs and chests were mingling together. Ryder also thought about the way he had probably swallowed as much of Jake's spit as his own during their prolonged tongue fest. There were still other fluids they hadn't shared yet though, and Ryder trembled and bucked hard against Jake's hips as he thought about releasing them with his friend.

"Okay," Ryder mumbled, slowly pulling his hands out of Jake's pants and letting him sit up.

"Come on, we'll go to my room," Jake said as he grabbed Ryder's hand and stood.

Ryder wordlessly rose to his feet and followed Jake out of the living room and down the hallway, their fingers still laced together. It felt so strange to Ryder to be doing this, to be walking hand-in-hand with his best friend toward his bedroom, knowing they would be getting off together once they got there rather than simply playing _Call of Duty_ or studying and doing homework.

"Take off your clothes and get on the bed," Jake instructed as he closed and locked the door, then began unbuttoning his own pants.

Ryder remained standing in place, motionless, still trying to get his head around the situation.

"You want this right?" Jake asked, his fly open and spread, revealing the long outline of his erection.

Ryder stared at Jake's bulge and remembered the way it had felt sliding against his own. It was hard to argue with the pleasure that had caused.

"I guess I do. I've just, you know, never touched anyone else's," Ryder answered, feeling an extra burn in his already-flushed cheeks.

Jake laughed and crossed the room, placing his hand on Ryder's back and guiding him to the bed.

"I didn't mean, 'do you want my dick?'" Jake explained with a slight chuckle as they sat down and he wrapped his arm around Ryder's shoulders. The gesture was soothing, reminiscent of the comforting way Jake had been touching him all evening.

"You didn't?" Ryder asked for confirmation, relaxing and leaning into Jake.

"No, I meant do you want _this._" Jake gestured between them with his free hand, indicating the entire situation.

Ryder glanced down at his tented jeans and then stole another look at Jake's taut stomach and well-muscled chest. He nodded slowly.

"Do you?" Ryder asked anxiously, worrying that Jake might be about to back out.

"Absolutely," Jake answered immediately, his hand moving down to rub Ryder's bare back, as though sensing his friend's concern. "I really want this to happen. But only if it makes us closer and we both enjoy it. Not if it's going to mess up our friendship, or if you feel pressured at all."

"Really?" Ryder asked, raising his eyes to Jake's face, mildly surprised by his friend's thoughtful words. To his dismay Jake looked offended and slightly hurt by the question.

"Yeah really," Jake bit out sarcastically. Then his eyes met Ryder's and his expression softened somewhat before he continued. "I have to know you're sure, Ryder. I have to know you trust me and feel safe otherwise we need to just stop."

"Because I was molested," Ryder accused, angry and frowning. This was exactly what he didn't want, people treating him differently because of his past.

"Because I care about you," Jake snapped, smacking Ryder's shoulder and looking thoroughly annoyed.

"Well I care about you too!" Ryder shot back as though it were an insult.

"Then take off your pants!" Jake shouted still pretending to be angry, but then cracking a smile and leaning forward to place a surprisingly soft kiss on Ryder's lips.

When the kiss ended, Ryder chuckled, feeling relaxed as he lay back on the bed and undid his fly, then arched his hips, and wiggled the jeans down his legs. Jake lay back next to him, also finishing the process of easing out of his clothes. Ryder noticed that Jake was sliding his briefs down as well, so he quickly yanked his own down too. Then he shoved his underwear deep inside his pants as he tossed them to the floor, once again hoping that his now-multiple spots of precum would go unnoticed. He didn't know just how 'eager' he should be feeling right now, and he didn't want to send the wrong message.

His task finished, Ryder sat modestly with his hands in his lap, feeling awkward about being erect in front of Jake. His whole life during the course of various sports and gym sessions he had learned that it was okay to be naked around other guys, just as long as you were both soft and neither of you looked directly at the other guy's junk. Intellectually he knew that this was different, that erections and even precum were probably welcome given the circumstances, but it was still hard to get past completely.

Well at least it might have been tough to get past, if Jake hadn't _immediately_ pushed Ryder's hand away and wrapped his fingers around Ryder's shaft. The sudden contact was as surprising as it was pleasurable and Ryder involuntarily grunted, bucking into Jake's hand. The next thing he knew Jake's tongue was back in his open mouth and they were picking up right where they had left off, sans clothes.

This time Ryder decided to take the initiative of pushing Jake down onto his back. It felt obscene as he slid into place between Jake's thighs and the tip of his still-wet cock lightly pressed against Jake's sack. Then suddenly Jake's ankles were on his ass, urging him forward. Ryder leaned forward, resting on his forearms as he slid his length the full distance along Jake's, their swollen cockheads finally meeting and leaking their sticky juices against each other.

Their shafts and balls were also in full contact, and the way it felt removed any lingering doubts about whether or not Ryder wanted things to continue. He couldn't believe how much better it felt doing this naked. Then Jake's ankles were squeezing his ass again, insistently demanding more thrusts. Ryder happily obliged, bucking himself into a senseless frenzy as his hands roved all over his friend's hard, strong body. After a while, Ryder broke the kiss, his eyes still shut as he let out a long, deep moan.

"Look at me," Jake whispered, his hands clenching Ryder's arms.

Ryder acquiesced, opening his eyes and licking his lips as he took in the lust-blown face of his best friend. Everything about Jake's expression screamed desire and there was a look of complete, unfiltered joy and enthusiasm present in his eyes. It was kind of...beautiful.

"God, you're so fucking hot," Jake whimpered as Ryder continued grinding long, slow thrusts against his erection.

"So are you," Ryder answered, unsure where the comment had come from, but fully meaning it.

Desperate to channel some of his boiling lust, Ryder tilted Jake's head to the side and began licking and sucking at the spot along the base of his jaw, just below his ear. His efforts apparently met with approval since Jake began moaning harder and writhing underneath of him, meeting him thrust for thrust.

Soon Jake's right hand was abandoning its hold on Ryder's bicep and he was lurching his whole body to the side as he reached under his bed, searching for something. Ryder knew that he should back off slightly and let Jake find whatever it was, but he couldn't bear even the temporary loss of contact with Jake's crotch. Instead he shifted with him, losing his rhythm, but keeping things pressed together. In that moment if he could have fused their genitals he would have. The feeling was just unbelievable.

After a little while Jake raised his arm, revealing the result of his prowling: a small bottle of lube.

"YES!" Ryder declared enthusiastically when he saw the liquid. It hadn't even consciously crossed his mind, but now that Jake was opening the cap Ryder was aware of just how raw and aching he was beginning to feel thanks to their prolonged grinding. It still felt way too good to even consider stopping, but Ryder decided that adding lube was pretty much the best idea Jake had ever had.

"Lean up," Jake said as he squirted a very generous portion into his hand.

Ryder quickly did as he was told, rolling back on his heels and taking the opportunity to finally look things over properly. The visual seemed almost unreal, certainly nothing like Ryder had ever thought he would be seeing. Jake's thick, dark shaft was nestled against his pubic thatch and jutted up proudly as it made the trek nearly all the way to his bellybutton. It sight was well mirrored by Ryder's own erection, which hovered in the air just a few inches above. The teenage boy in Ryder couldn't help but feel proud that he equaled Jake's sizable unit inch for veiny, engorged inch. Naturally one major difference between their equipment lay in the hue of their skin. While most of Jake's shaft was the same shade as the rest of his body, the highly sensitive section just before Jake's cockhead was a much lighter brown, and Ryder couldn't help but think that it contrasted nicely with the slight pinkish tone of his own comparable area. The other big difference was their cockheads. While Ryder's glans featured more of an angled slop, and formed a truer tip, Jake's was wide and rounded. Like Ryder's erection, Jake's was literally dripping, and had deposited several sticky, glistening droplets just below Jake's navel.

"Are you done eye-fucking it?" Jake asked, his voice slightly teasing, but obviously pleased as he finally began slathering lube all over his erection.

Ryder nodded, wondering if he was supposed to have denied the charge, but too worked up to bother. In response Jake added more lube to his palm and then grabbed Ryder's dick, slicking it up just as thoroughly as he had his own. Ryder grunted and humped Jake's hand.

"Good," Jake declared, pulling Ryder's shaft down again against his own and wrapping his fingers around both cockheads, holding their equipment together. "Now fuck the load out of it."

Ryder looked down at Jake's smirking face and silently accepted the challenge, rolling back and then gliding forward again as hard and fast as he could. Sure enough Jake gasped and his teasing expression shifted back into one of extreme lust. A long, low moan escaped his lips as Ryder gave him a second round and this time it was Ryder who took advantage of Jake's open mouth to lean over and insert his tongue.

As Ryder continued 'fucking' his friend's cock he also penetrated him as deeply as possible with his tongue. Jake rubbed his fingers and palm back and forth over their slippery heads, creating an extreme stimulation that was almost too much to take and which had both boys trembling and whining. Ryder let his lust take over completely now as he continued his deep kissing and hard humping. Eventually as his steady pace gradually increased to a near fever pitch, Jake had to stop rubbing their heads and focus on merely holding their erections in place against each other. Ryder didn't know whether to be relieved or disappointed that the torturously good teasing had ceased. All he knew was that he had to thrust harder, both to compensate for the loss of the sensation assault and to keep Jake from resuming it again.

He knew they were both getting close, moaning shamelessly and very lewdly into each other's mouths. Ryder could feel his balls tensing, drawing up in his sack and gently rolling against Jake's in the process. His whole body felt tight and ready to erupt. However, just when he didn't think he could take it anymore, Jake's hand slipped and his next thrust had him gliding most of the way off of Jake's shaft. Both boys groaned at the interruption and repositioned, Jake hanging on even more tightly now to their erections. Ryder didn't know whether to be frustrated or grateful that Jake had inadvertently prolonged the explosive inevitable. On the plus side, it meant that Ryder got to catch the wave and ride the good feelings all the way back up to the crest again. Nevertheless, plus side or not, Ryder decided that it was more productive to go with frustrated and to take out some of that frustration by humping Jake harder and nipping at his lip.

As they reascended the precipice, Ryder could tell that Jake was going to plummet first. His breathing had gotten shaky and uneven; he was gasping into Ryder's mouth and his tongue seemed to have a mind of its own. Then all at once Jake's already-rock-hard cock felt even bigger and fuller and began to pulse mightily. He clamped his fingers vice-like around Ryder's biceps and began sucking so hard on Ryder's tongue that Ryder wondered if it was possible for him to bruise it. And then it happened. A hot, thick wetness poured from Jake's cock.

At first Ryder felt Jake's creamy blast on his lower stomach and pelvis. Then Jake's spurts gradually became dribbles, and gravity, combined with Ryder's continued motion, caused Jake's semen to slid downward. Ryder felt it spreading _all_ over his own erection, coating his head, greasing his shaft, and eventually dripping down onto his balls. For a brief moment Ryder felt disgusted. However, almost instantly he reevaluated and decided that it was the hottest, dirtiest, most amazing thing ever that Jake's seed was all over his most intimate places. He kissed Jake harder as he maintained his relentless thrusting, his mind and body on overdrive as he barreled toward the brink.

At the last second Ryder pulled away from the kiss, both so that he could breathe more deeply and so that he could look at Jake. Ryder moaned and bit his bottom lip as he gazed at his friend. He had never seen a more affectionate, happy look on Jake's face and he found himself staring into Jake's tender brown eyes as the consuming pleasure crashed over him. His whole body seized and every nerve ending ignited with sparking euphoria. His cum came gushing out, re-coating their abdomens and covering their privates in a big heaping second helping of spunk.

It didn't stop. The spasms kept going and going, unleashing more and more of his seed. Even after he was finally done shooting, the orgasm itself continued for several seconds, leaving him trembling and helplessly gripping Jake's shoulders as he gasped for air.

When it was finally over Ryder sighed hard and collapsed fully onto Jake's chest, his face in the crook of his friend's neck. Jake wrapped his arms around him, their sweaty, exhausted bodies melding together as Jake held him close and rubbed his back. Once Ryder's breathing was under control again, he pulled away enough to look at Ryder's face.

"Good?" Jake asked with a lopsided smile, gently sweeping the sweat-soaked bangs away from Ryder's eyes.

"So good," Ryder answered desperately. He no longer felt buzzed from the alcohol, but he was bathed in a torrent of warmth and endorphins and all he wanted to do was cuddle. Unsure how to handle everything he was feeling he embraced Jake tightly and sunk lower on the bed, nuzzling his face against Jake's incredible chest. That was how this whole fantastic thing had started after all, with his face cradled against Jake's chest and the other boy's arms wrapped around him. Fortunately Jake understood what Ryder needed and he once again began gently carding his fingers through Ryder's long hair and stroking his other hand up and down Ryder's arm.

"I wanted to make you feel better," Jake said quietly several minutes later. As if to emphasize his statement he placed a kiss on the top of Ryder's head.

"Well then, mission accomplished," Ryder murmured sleepily against Jake's chest. Jake laughed softly, the vibration barely shaking Ryder.

"Come on, let's grab a quick shower and then hop back in bed," Jake said, slowly easing out from under Ryder, and taking each of his hands as he gently tugged him toward the edge of the bed.

"Do you you want me to just go home?" Ryder asked, as he sat up and looked at Jake.

"Well one, you've been drinking, so of course not, and–"

"I could go sleep on the couch," Ryder offered, not wanting to be in Jake's way and unsure what it would be like for them to share a bed. Right now he was all about cuddling and touching Jake, but he was worried it might be awkward in the morning.

"Yeah if you wanted to hurt my feelings," Jake remarked with an exaggerated pout on his face and a twinkle in his eye.

Ryder laughed and climbed off the bed, kissing Jake lightly on the lips and squeezing his hand as he stood up. Even though he knew Jake had been kidding he absolutely in no way wanted to risk hurting his feelings.

"Bed it is then," Ryder answered, grinning as he walked out of the room and headed for the bathroom.

Ryder quickly peed and stepped into the shower, unsurprised when Jake joined him a few moments later. It was unexpectedly nice and even fun brushing against him while they slipped past each other, taking turns under the hot spray. After they were both finished Jake gave him a brief, full-body hug and another kiss on the lips before stepping out.

Ryder wasn't sure how much longer all this open affection would last, but he had already resolved to go with it for as long as Jake did. It felt great and it was no longer the least bid weird or awkward to kiss his friend. In fact Ryder made a mental note _not_ to greet Jake this way when they went back to school on Monday.

"Hey Jake, can I ask you a question?" Ryder asked as he snuggled back against Jake in the bed. Apparently the sleeping together deal also included spooning, and Jake's arms were already wrapped securely around his chest.

"What's up?" Jake inquired suggestively, punctuating his question by squeezing Ryder closer and rubbing himself against Ryder's ass.

Ryder chuckled and rolled over so that he was facing Jake. He hated to even ask his next question, but he had to. He felt too guilty to avoid it.

"What about Marley? I mean...didn't you basically just cheat on her?"

Jake smiled and shook his head. "Nah, we have um, an understanding when it comes to you."

"What do you mean?" Ryder asked furrowing his brow in confusion.

Jake took a deep breath like he was uncomfortable but continued. "Well, we both have feelings for you, but we also don't want to break up, or spend all our time being jealous so–"

"Wait, you _both_ have feelings for me?" Ryder asked, surprised, flattered, and incredibly confused all at once.

"Yeah, so to make a long story short, you sort of count as a free pass for both of us. Just you though."

Ryder cocked an eyebrow. "Does that mean–"

"Yes, you can also kiss Marley...or whatever," Jake answered before smirking and continuing, "But none of the whatever until I do it first."

"Okay," Ryder agreed, nodding eagerly. That certainly seemed...well quite a bit _more_ than just fair. "Wait and we can also..."

"Yep, whenever we want," Jake agreed grinning and then kissing Ryder again.

The kiss lasted for several minutes, no longer frenzied or urgent, just soft and slow. When Ryder didn't think he could stay awake any longer he pulled away and nuzzled back into Jake's arms. He didn't know what to think about this strange 'understanding' that Jake and Marley apparently had, and he hadn't even begun to sort out his own feelings about it, or more pressingly perhaps, about Jake. However, as he drifted off to sleep with Jake still slowly running his fingers through his hair, Ryder knew without a doubt that his best friend was the single most understanding person he had ever met.

**The End**

**End Note: I hope this second part lived up to everyone's expectations. I wrote it multiple times in several different ways, including once from Jake's POV, and also with more progressive sexual content. Ultimately though I decided it only worked to continue it from Ryder's perspective, and I just didn't see these two going from a first kiss to all out fucking the way I had characterized them in the first part, so yeah I left their experience more preliminary. Of course you're welcome to imagine what they got up to in subsequent encounters ;-)**


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